1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system for rotating a class of three-dimensional (3D) displays called volumetric displays and, more particularly, to a system that allows a user to rotate the display to view different parts of the scene within the display without having to move or walk around the display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A class of three-dimensional (3D) displays, called volumetric displays, is currently undergoing rapid advancement. The types of displays in this class include holographic displays, swept volume displays and static volume displays. Volumetric displays allow for 3D graphical scenes to be displayed within a true 3D volume. Because the technology of these displays is undergoing rapid development those of skill in the art are concentrating on the engineering of the display itself. As a result, the man-machine interface to these types of displays is receiving scant attention.
While the volumetric displays allow a user to view different parts of a true 3D scene, the act of viewing the different parts typically requires that the user physically move around the display. For example, if the user wants to view the backside of a scene including a building, the user must move to the backside of the display to see the back of the building. This movement is typically performed by the user walking around the display. Requiring the user to physically move around the display for an extended period of time is probably not the best way to work with these types of displays. And some movements may also be impractical, such as moving above the display for a view from above.
Another approach to viewing the different parts of the display is for the user to virtually navigate around the scene using camera navigation techniques. For large complicated scenes, rendering the scene for each increment of camera navigation can be computationally expensive, with the result that slow refresh rates detract from the user's experience. What is needed is a system that will allow a user to physically rotate the display.